Suspect In Westport Stabbing Contemplated Killing: Prosecutor

STAMFORD, CT — The 18-year-old Guilford man accused of stabbing a woman in a Westport parking lot last month first showed an interest in killing someone 10 years ago, state prosecutor Joseph Valdes said in court on Monday.

Ellis Tibere, who faces an attempted murder charge in connection with the Jan. 6 stabbing, appeared in Stamford Superior Court and was expected to be bonded out by his parents, according to his attorney John Gulash.

After being bonded out, Tibere was set to be voluntarily transported to Whiting Forensic Hospital in Middletown on Monday for treatment after a request by Gulash. Tibere was deemed competent to stand trial prior to Monday's hearing, and while at Whiting, he will be on lockdown status.

During the hearing before Judge Gary White, Valdes painted a frightening portrait of Tibere, who Valdes said was a "particularly high risk to the public and himself."

Tibere is accused of putting on a mask and attacking a Greenwich woman in the parking lot of a Westport beauty salon, and according to the victim's attorney, Eugene Riccio, the injury his client sustained to her leg in the assault was gruesome.

"My client's leg looks like someone performed an autopsy on it," Riccio said in court.

"The suspect had thoughts of wanting to kill someone as long as 10 years ago," Valdes said.

In the arrest warrant, Wesport detectives wrote that Tibere told them that on two separate occasions, he broke into homes in Westport with plans of killing the residents. Police did not disclose when or where those break-ins may have occurred, or if they happened at all.

Valdes said that Tibere admitted to stabbing the victim in the Westport attack, and that he would carry out a similar attack on someone else if given the chance. He never met the victim and chose her randomly, according to authorities.

"He's an adult, but he looks much younger to me, which makes him more dangerous," Valdes said. "No one would ever imagine he would do something like this."

Tibere's $1 million bond was upheld by White and his parents were expected to post it. Gulash's attempt to get it lowered to $500,000 was denied.

Gulash said that Tibere was a good student at Guilford High School, where he is a senior, and he has no prior criminal record.

"Those who know the family can attest to how responsible his parents are," Gulash said, adding that the Tiberes have lived in Guilford since 2002. "They remain very engaged [with Ellis]."

Prior to agreeing to stipulate that Tibere be sent to Whiting upon his release on bond, White didn't know if he had the legal authority to make such a motion, because Tibere had already been found to be competent.

Gulash argued that while a statute did not exist, in essence Tibere is being sent to Whiting on a medical recommendation from the doctors who spoke to Tibere.

How long Tibere will be held at Whiting was not known, but White imposed a condition that if/when he is deemed OK to leave, he must come back to court for final approval.

His case was continued to March 27.